1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to timepieces, and in particular to timepieces wherein a conventional clock mechanism is used to rotate ring-like zones with indicator areas for the seconds, minutes and hours. The invention further relates to a digitally generated display which visually simulates such timepieces.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,525,209 entitled xe2x80x9cOrbital Clockxe2x80x9d discloses a clock wherein a conventional clock drive mechanism having an hour shaft, a minute shaft, and a second shaft is used to drive respective disks of different diameters having thereon time indicator areas in the form of translucent holes having different colors representing the hour, minute, and second. The disks are designed with light transmissive annular areas and arranged with a light source behind them in order to give the impression of three concentrically orbiting planets of different size and color. While the clock is designed to give the impression of planets which are optically floating in a dark cube, the only observable motion is the same as the hands of a clock wherein the planets represent respective second, minute, and hour hands. It is the object of the xe2x80x9cOrbital Clockxe2x80x9d to provide a timepiece which is minimalist art, providing a reduction in apparent detail by obscuring mechanical, structural, and electronic elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,803,831 entitled xe2x80x9cVisual Indication Apparatus with Rotatable Transparent Discsxe2x80x9d discloses the use of a conventional clock drive mechanism to drive translucent disks of different diameters having thereon angularly graduated color intensities which form time indicator areas at the boundary between the lightest and darkest areas. These disks pass over a stationary face having a color intensity which is angularly graduated in the opposite direction. While intended to create a unique visual effect, the effect is still conventional insofar as the time indicator areas are viewed directly without any intervening features to animate them.
It is an object of the invention to provide a timepiece which displays the time in an interesting manner by animating the time indicator areas to create a continuous or stepwise change in their appearance.
According to the invention, this object is achieved through the use of pairs of overlapping annular zones, wherein the zones in each pair exhibit relative rotation, one of the zones in each pair constituting a matte, the other constituting a fill. As used herein, these terms are defined as follows.
Matte: A stencil or filter that allows varying amounts light to be transmitted in certain areas. The variation can range from complete transparency to complete opacity. A matte can be created by printing or painting a transparent medium such as glass or plastic, or by cutting apertures in an opaque material, which can be any color.
Fill: A material placed behind the matte which is visible through the transparent or semi-transparent areas of the matte.
According to an embodiment having six annular zones on six respective laminas, the second, minute, and hour mattes are concentrically arranged so that each is visible. The second, minute, and hour fills are arranged behind the respective mattes, and driven by the second, minute, and hour outputs of a conventional clock mechanism. Each fill preferably has an array of patterns including a time indicator area which is optically distinguishable from the rest of the fill, whereby the portion of the patterns visible through the transmissive areas is constantly changing while the indicator areas are always (or at least intermittently) visible through the transmissive areas to give an indication of time.
According to an embodiment having six annular zones on four laminas, the second matte is arranged on the first lamina, while the second fill, minute matte, and hour matte are concentrically arranged on a second lamina, which is driven by the second output of the clock mechanism. The minute fill and hour fill are arranged on respective further laminas so that the patterns and indicator areas thereon are visible through the transmissive areas of the respective mattes thereabove, these laminas being driven by the minute and hour outputs of the clock mechanism. This embodiment not only offers the advantage of simple construction, but since the second lamina is rotating at the speed of a second hand, i.e. with a period of one minute, the portions of the patterns of all the fills which are visible through the respective transmissive areas of the mattes change continuously and with sufficient speed to create the impression of flow through a continuous series of patterns.
According to another embodiment, the zones of the mattes and fills may be provided on cylindrical surfaces which are rotated relative to each other, the ring-like zones on the fills being partially visible through the transmissive areas in the ring-like zones of the mattes. In this regard, the term xe2x80x9cring-likexe2x80x9d will be understood to mean zones which are either annular, or in the form of cylindrical strips.
The visual effects which may be achieved by rotating mattes relative to fills are not limited to the appearance of discrete reflective or transmissive areas of the fills through discrete transmissive areas of the mattes. According to another embodiment, the mattes and fills may have continuous transmissive areas which increase in width in an angular direction about an axis of rotation. At least one of the mattes and fills may also vary in transmissivity in an angular direction about the axis. According to a preferred embodiment having three disks, a first disk has a first transparent zone which serves as a second fill, the first zone having a radial outer part and a radial inner part which serve as minute and hour mattes for second and third zones (minute and hour fills) on respective second and third disks underneath the first disk. The inner part and the outer part of the first zone, as well as the second and third zones, have an increase in radial width which ends at an indicator area.
It is also possible to have a three disk arrangement wherein the first disk or second fill has a first zone which does not vary in radial width, but does vary in transmissivity in an angular direction about its axis. This is preferably a continuous shading from light to dark, culminating at an indicator area. The first zone has an outer part and an inner part which serve as minute and hour mattes for second and third zones (minute and hour fills) on respective second and third disks underneath the first disk. These disks have respective zones which needn""t have any angular variation in transmissivity, but must have indicator areas. The first indicator area is preferably in the form of a radially extending slice which is optically distinguishable from the rest of the first zone, so that passing over the second and third indicator areas gives the impression of xe2x80x9cblipsxe2x80x9d on a radar screen.
In another three disk embodiment, the first disk has a radially outer part and a radially inner part which each have discrete transmissive areas at regular angular intervals about the parts. The second and third disks thereunder have discrete reflective areas at regular angular intervals which are preferably at a slightly different spacing than the transmissive areas in the first disk. The appearance of a complete reflective area through an overlying transmissive area rolls around the first disk with a period determined by the angular intervals. A similar effect may be achieved by having only a single disk or second fill overlying a stationary face having first and second zones on which the reflective areas are provided at regular angular intervals. Here the second and third indicator areas may be implemented as conventional watch hands disposed between the first disk and the face, and designed to be visible through the transmissive areas, which are preferably apertures.
In a variation of the three disk embodiment having transmissive areas at regular angular intervals around the zones, the transmissive areas change transmissivity gradually from one area to the next, preferably by changing colors. The outer and inner areas of the first zone may be provided with colors which alternate at the same angular intervals as the colors on the second and third disks therebelow, thereby giving the impression of a constant change of colors of the first disk as it rotates. Here too a similar effect may be achieved by having only a single disk or second fill overlying a stationary face having first and second zones on which the reflective areas are provided at regular angular intervals, the second and third indicator areas being implemented as conventional watch hands between the rotating disk and the face.
The shapes of the transmissive areas in the mattes and the patterns in or on the fills are chosen to give a pleasing visual effect, and may be determined empirically by using computer software to generate images showing how the clock face will appear in operation. The colors may likewise be adjusted using software until an effect pleasing to the eye is found. Likewise, the timepiece itself may be implemented as a digital display which gives the same visual impression a timepiece realized with rotating laminas or disks. The invention as claimed should thereby be understood to include any digital or electronic implementation which gives the same visual impression as the mechanical embodiments described herein.
The timepiece may be designed with fills which are wholly reflective, so that ambient or directed light from outside the clock is sufficient to tell the time. However the fills may also be designed so that the patterns are translucent or transparent, the indicator area being of a different color or otherwise optically distinguishable from the rest of the fill, the laminas being backlit so that the face is visible for telling time in a dark room. The choice of shapes and colors in this case could be used for a highly decorative outdoor clock in a commercial area, or a clock in an area with limited lighting such as a bar, discotheque, or theater.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.